The 10 Strangest Items TSA Officers Found at Checkpoints in 2021

The team behind TSA’s stellar Instagram account has compiled a list of the 10 oddest items that were surrendered at security checkpoints across the country in 2021. The resulting video sorts through a variety of item ranging from weapons to drugs to … more weapons, with a particular emphasis on firearms.

It’s not surprising considering that, per the TSA’s website, more than 2 million passengers are screened each day at nearly 440 airports nationwide, and on average, officers discover as many as nine firearms (among other prohibited items) per day. Couple that with the fact that 2021 was a big year for people trying to bring guns into the cabin, and it’s almost surprising the number isn’t higher.

That said, firearms were hardly the only strange items people tried to get through security. Here’s the full list:

Bullets in deodorant
A pistol
A meth burrito
A firearm buckle
A cleaver
Bear spray
A machete
Fireworks
A wine holder
A chainsaw

It’s here! “TSA’s Top 10 Catches of 2021!” From bear spray to meth-rritos, our officers found some truly unusual items. They worked hard to keep travelers safe as they returned to the skies. What would you pick as your number one catch? Let us know! #TSATop10 pic.twitter.com/3o2zQs5IrC
— TSA (@TSA) January 10, 2022

Something to note, however, is that items, regardless of classification, are almost never truly confiscated. If a passenger arrives at a checkpoint with a prohibited item, they’re given a series of options: they could put the item in a checked bag; hand it off to a non-traveling companion; return it to their car; mail it to their home or final destination, assuming the airport has a mailing center (some do, some don’t); or they can voluntarily surrender it to TSA. So, in effect, the weirdo who tries to bring a machete on a plane doesn’t necessarily lose their machete privileges (though, I have to believe the guy who tried to smuggle meth in his burrito probably lost his meth privileges).

Another little known fact is that many of the items that are surrendered to TSA are actually available to purchase via state agencies for surplus property. So if you read this and thought, “Wow — neat!” You’re actually in luck.